[Official] Singapore Grand Prix 2023: Grand Prix Weekend Thread - Round 16 of 23

[Born Racer]

As we enter the last third of the season, you could be forgiven for being surprised Max Verstappen has yet to wrap up the world championship. Having won all but two of the Grands Prix in 2023 (with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Pérez having taken the other two), the so-far double world champion looks more confident than ever in his ability and possibility to take victory each time out, approaching each event as a new one and a new opportunity to not only come home first, but dominate as much as possible.

In this ‘business end’ of the season, we also get to see a combination of classic circuits (Interlagos and Spa) sprinkled with some modern venues for the new world order of Formula 1. Before getting to the neon icon that is Las Vegas, we first have the razzmatazz of Singapore.

The Marina Bay Circuit put on Formula 1’s first ever night race in 2008. A 318,000 watt capacity is required to pump the circuit with artificial lighting and the definition of the different elements of the cars is fantastic as they shimmer under the floodlights, with sparks from the underside particularly prominent.

The Singapore Grand Prix generally goes on to become the longest race in the season, running to the 2-hour limit before the laps have been completed. The shortest race here was 2018's 1 hour 51 minutes.

On past form, the safety car is almost a certainty – it has appeared at least once in every Grand Prix held at this track, perhaps most memorably in the first ever Formula 1 race, when Renault’s Nelson Piquet agreed to crash in order to assist Fernando Alonso (who went on to controversially take the first victory) and in 2015, when during a safety car period, a spectator got through a gap and made it onto the track.

The shortest margin of victory here was 0.239 in 2010, with Alonso beating Sebastian Vettel, although in 2016, Daniel Ricciardo ran winner Nico Rosberg home close after a frantic battle near the end, with the margin 0.488 at the end. Vettel did manage to hold off Alonso by almost 33 seconds in his 2013 win, however.

Look out for the new circuit modifications too.


The history

The first Grand Prix in Singapore was in 1961, named the Orient Year Grand Prix. It formed part of a campaign called ‘Visit Singapore - The Orient Year’ to attract tourists to the region and it took place on a street track named the Thomson Road Grand Prix Circuit. Races were run for both cars and motorcycles, and Ian Barnwell won the former in an Aston Martin DB3S. This subsequently turned into the Malaysian Grand Prix until 1965, at which point Singapore gained independence and it became the Singapore Grand Prix the following year.

The event was run to Formula Libre rules and the circuit was known for being a dangerous one, with one of the corners named ‘The Hump’, a right-hander through which the cars left the ground, and featuring a section which became known as ‘Murder Mile, a corner nicknamed Devil’s Bend and a right-left-right-left sequence dubbed 'The Snakes'.

Singapore's Lee Han Seng took the spoils in the 1966 Grand Prix in a Lotus 22, in addition to claiming the Sports Car and GT race in a Lotus-Ford Twin Cam. Rodney Seow, also from the country, won the following year in a Merlyn-Ford, with Australia's Garrie Cooper sealing victory in 1968 in an Elfin-Ford, before Graeme Lawrence of New Zealand embarked on a hat-trick in a McLaren-Ford, Ferrari and Brabham-Ford. The 'Jolly Green Giant', Australian Max Stewart won the 1972 edition in a Mildren-Ford, while his compatriot Vern Schuppan was victorious in 1973 in a March-Hart.

In the opening race at Marina Bay in 2008, Felipe Massa's Ferrari led Hamilton's McLaren away from pole and pulled a gap. Fernando Alonso, who had qualified fifteenth, made an early stop on Lap 12 to change from the super-softs to the softs and rejoined at the tail of the field. A mere two laps later, team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr crashed at Turn 17, which brought out the safety car. When the pitlane was opened, Felipe Massa was among the many to pit, but was released with the fuel hose still attached and his team had to run to the end of the pitlane to remove it. The order now transformed, Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica were given penalties for having to stop for fuel before the pitlane had opened. Rosberg, however, had built a lead in his Williams and dropped to just fourth. Jarno Trulli now led from Giancarlo Fisichella.

When Trulli and Fisichella one-stopped, Alonso took over the lead and held it to the end, despite making a second stop on Lap 42. Rosberg was runner-up and Hamilton third. A year later, it emerged that Piquet had been ordered to crash to benefit Alonso, and Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds left the team and were sanctioned by the FIA.

In 2009, Hamilton led the early stages from pole, while Rosberg grabbed second spot, before getting a second penalty in as many years, as he crossed the white line of the pit exit after his stop on Lap 18. A subsequent safety car following the second crash by Adrian Sutil in two Singapore events was followed by Jaime Alguersuari repeating Massa's fuel hose blunder of the previous year. Sebastian Vettel harried Hamilton for the lead, but when he made his second stop on Lap 39, he sped in the pit lane, handing himself a drive-through penalty, a frustration compounded by damaging the car on a kerb on the out lap. Hamilton went on to win from Timo Glock's Toyota and Alonso's Renault. It was the first race of the campaign with no Brawn or Red Bull on the podium.

A year later, it was Alonso who became the first repeat winner here, in addition to claiming his first 'Grand Chelem', after an intense battle with second-placed Vettel. The margin of victory was just 0.239, the closest yet seen here, while Mark Webber was third, after a collision with Hamilton saw the McLaren driver go out of the race. Michael Schumacher had a nightmare and collided with both Kamui Kobayashi and Nick Heidfeld. Heikki Kovalainen and Sébastien Buemi made contact and the former had to put out the fire on his car.

In 2011, it was much less close than the previous year, as Vettel took a lights-to-flag victory from Jenson Button's McLaren and the fellow Red Bull of Mark Webber. Schumacher was once again embroiled in a Singapore smash, this time with the Sauber of Sergio Pérez. After both pitting on Lap 12, Hamilton closed down Massa and made contact on the outside of Turn 7, necessitating a new front wing for him and a set of tyres for the Ferrari driver, who had got a right-rear puncture. The McLaren man also got slapped with a drive-through penalty.

Hamilton started the 2012 event on pole, with Pastor Maldonado alongside in the Williams, but it was Vettel who came through to win after the McLaren driver suffered a gearbox failure on Lap 22. Schumacher made it a hat-trick of collisions at this track, this time meeting Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso. Jenson Button and Alonso completed the podium in their McLaren and Ferrari, respectively.

In 2013, Vettel got away from pole more slowly than Rosberg, who grabbed first slot into Turn 1 but ran wide, handing the place back. Thereafter, he controlled the race to the finish, taking a hat-trick of wins at Marina Bay and a Grand Chelem. Coming home second was Alonso, who stopped on the slowing-down lap to pick up Webber, whose engined had lunched itself on Lap 60 and set on fire. Both received reprimands, but Webber's impacted his next race, as this was his third one, and he got a ten-place grid penalty. Kimi Räikkönen was third.

Lewis Hamilton took the spoils with Mercedes a year later, becoming the third repeat winner at Marina Bay. Alonso made a brave lunge into Turn 1, but ran wide and slipped back. The Red Bulls of Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo completed the podium. Hamilton's team-mate and championship rival Nico Rosberg had a wiring loom issue and a recalcitrant steering wheel and, after having started at the back, went out on Lap 13.

It looked like it could be a second year in succession of starting setbacks for Rosberg, when in 2015, he had a glitch on the way to the grid and stopped at the end of the pitlane. The issue was resolved, though, and he took up his sixth place. Vettel had taken pole and went on to take a fourth Singapore victory and the first of two for Ferrari. Ricciardo followed him home within a second a half in second in the Red Bull, while Räikkönen managed third. The race was marred by an intruder sneaking on to the track.

2016 saw Rosberg become the fourth driver to win at Marina Bay, comfortably taking the spoils from pole. Carlos Sainz's Toro Rosso tangled with Nico Hülkenberg's Force India on the opening lap, sending the latter out of the race. Ricciardo was runner-up for a second straight year, but this time just under half a second behind, while Hamilton ended up third. After a couple of technical-related grid penalties, Singapore specialist Sebastian Vettel climbed from 22nd to 5th.

In 2017, we witnessed the first wet weather at a night Grand Prix. A spectacular accident into Turn 1 involving the Ferraris of Räikkönen and Vettel and Max Verstappen's Red Bull, eliminated all three from proceedings and made it the first time in F1 history that both works Ferraris retired on the opening lap. Lewis Hamilton then led and went on to win from Ricciardo, once again second, and Valtteri Bottas in the sister Mercedes.

Hamilton won again in 2018, this time from Max Verstappen and Vettel. Kevin Magnussen set what stands as the fastest race lap to this day in his Haas. In 2019, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took pole, but it was his team-mate Vettel who took a fifth victory, and his first in a little over a year. Leclerc sealed the runner-up slot and in doing so, gave Singapore its first 1-2 finish for a team, while Verstappen completed the podium. As in 2016, Sainz and Hülkenberg collided, but this time, both drivers survived the race. Kevin Magnussen set fastest lap again for the second year in succession, but did not get the extra point for doing so, as he was outside the top ten finishers.

After returning following a COVID-induced hiatus, Sergio Pérez became the fifth victor at Marina Bay. The start was delayed by just over an hour after thunderstorms, and all cars started the race on intermediates. Pérez grabbed the lead from Leclerc into Turn 1. There were two full SCs and two VSCs. Pérez won by two and a half seconds from the Ferrari of Leclerc and the other one of Sainz. He had received a five-second penalty for falling more than ten car lengths behind the safety car, but he managed to protect his victory margin. Max Verstappen had a scrappy race, starting 8th and ending up just 7th.


Trivia

There has only been one 1-2 for a team here, in 2019, for Ferrari.

Sebastian Vettel has the most wins in the Singapore Grand Prix, with five.

Lewis Hamilton has four first places, while Fernando Alonso has two. Sandwiched between them on wins is Graeme Lawrence, who won in 1969, 1970 and 1971.

Max Verstappen has never won here, but a Max has - Max Stewart in 1972.

There are only three circuits on the calendar Verstappen hasn’t won on yet – Marina Bay is one of them. Losail and Las Vegas (be fair on the latter – we haven’t had a race there yet) are the others.

Max Verstappen made history in the Italian Grand Prix, with 10 consecutive Grand Prix wins. Red Bull continue to be on course to be the first team in F1 history to win every Grand Prix.

At Marina Bay, the safety car has appeared at least once in every race.

Five of the Marina Bay races have exceeded the two-hour limit.


The track

There have now been five different version of Marina Bay. The 'Singapore Sling', The wiggly Turn 10 chicane, was removed for the 2013 Grand Prix and replaced with a simple left-hander. In 2015, Turns 11 to 13 were modified, while Turns 16 and 17 were changed for the 2018 event. Now, due to the building of an outdoor venue, the old Turns 16-19 have been removed and a straight will connect Turn 15 with the old Turn 20/21 chicane, henceforth the Turn 16/17 chicane. Laptimes are expected to be shaved by around ten seconds, while one lap will be added to the race distance.




Other information

Circuit length: 4.94 km
Number of laps: 62
Race distance: 306.143 km
Dry weather tyre compounds: C3, C4 and C5

Race Lap Record: n/a
First Grand Prix in Singapore: 1961
First Singapore Grand Prix: 1966
First Grand Prix at this circuit: 2008
First Grand Prix on current configuration: 2023

Join in the fun with the F1 Predictions Contest and Fantasy F1:

https://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=158300

https://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=157755

[E.B]

Thanks BR for the great write up and info. First class.

So Ferrari were 1-2 in P1 but early days and P2 will be more representative in terms of darkness, temperature and a less green track.

It is just hard to envisage anyone other than Max winning and the car seems bulletproof. (Arguably) Best most consistent driver in the best car, as history has shown will give that .

Cream rises to the top and all that.

As an aside the Williams livery looks good

[bjohnsonsmith]

Excellent intro as ever.

I doesn't feel like the Italian GP was only two weeks ago, it feels a lot longer. Anyway, now that Verstappen has broken the record for the most consecutive GP wins, can he still maintain the momentum? I'm also looking forward to see if both McLaren and Williams can continue to build on their current form.

[steve_r]

Pretty as it is under the lights, I'm no fan of this track. It's too long for starters. It's often just been a bit follow-the-leader. I hope that the new layout will enable more overtaking.

[chillibowl]

great intro BR!

on one hand i hope Perez does so well as to stick it very publicly to Marko but also looking to see team mate conflict when and if Perez gets close to Max on track.

not sure if that makes me a bad person or not but i am hoping for some fireworks!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

......i hope Perez does so well as to stick it very publicly to Marko...

Im presuming you are referring to his 'racial slur' against Sergio and his Latin Ethnicity and the bit about Mexico being in South America.

Pleased to see the FIA got involved with that and have at least given him an official reprimand. Shame they have not given him some official (demeaning to Helmut) punishment rather than a smack on the wrist, but better than nothing..

In a statement, the FIA wrote: “We can confirm that Helmut Marko has received a written warning and been reminded of his responsibilities as a public figure in motor sport in line with the FIA Code of Ethics.”

It might make him think before he engages his mouth in the future.

[Born Racer]

The highlights today were Ferrari outpacing Red Bull on one lap pace and a lizard bringing out the yellow and red flag. I guess he was a bit slippery!

[Aysedasi]

Thanks for the intro BR.

May as well start celebrating Verstappen's first win in Singapore..... or could something out of the ordinary happen?

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Thanks for the intro BR.

May as well start celebrating Verstappen's first win in Singapore..... or could something out of the ordinary happen?

If Red Bull are pessimistic after Friday either on Saturday they will be back at the front, or they are really having a struggle.
However, with Perez faster than Max in FP2 I think there will be a team turnaround in Fp3/Qualifying.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

If Red Bull are pessimistic after Friday either on Saturday they will be back at the front, or they are really having a struggle.
However, with Perez faster than Max in FP2 I think there will be a team turnaround in Fp3/Qualifying.

New wing flex tests? Just saying….

[chillibowl]

Glad he is ok but Stroll just ruined what could have been one of the better finishes to a session all season!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Q1 red flagged and Stroll's car is a mess. He clipped the curb.

[Born Racer]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Thanks for the intro BR.

May as well start celebrating Verstappen's first win in Singapore..... or could something out of the ordinary happen?

Being slippery in a straight line only helps here if you're a lizard. So maybe this is not their best circuit. I'm thinking statistically just what the odds are of Red Bull taking them all this year. It depends what the parameters are for your stats and odds and somewhere out there, there must exist some statistical truth (even if it's not factual truth until it's happened in the real world) about how likely it is.

I guess it's looking likely, but the chances of someone or something tripping them are there every round. Of course, I don't know how likely that is.

On race pace, they still look good, but it's probably not one of their best margins of the season.

[Greem]

That one is a decision that won't go away. Presumably next time Max is involved in something the other way round, nobody from RBR will be invited to attend.

[GT6]

Have the stewards decided the grid yet?

[Lancsbreaker]

That seems very iffy.....perhaps Ferrari International Assistance will need to be renamed Red Bull International Assistance

[Born Racer]

Fantastic grid. I've long rated Leclerc, but Sainz seems like the more complete package and it's getting difficult to claim Leclerc is faster over one lap. If so, which lap is it?

George Russell is another one super fired up. He really is testing Lewis Hamilton and doesn't seem to get enough credit for his performances against the seven-time champ.

As for Verstappen, well, he was very scrappy last year from far down the grid. More of the same this year? The devil in me can't wait for him to have get some of his own medicine and have to do some wheel-to-wheel stuff. Singapore drinking game - have a swig every time Verstappen complains on the radio. Bad idea. Tomorrow is Monday.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

George Russell is another one super fired up. He really is testing Lewis Hamilton and doesn't seem to get enough credit for his performances against the seven-time champ.

Have you seen the points table? George is at a key point as to whether he might be considered a genuine topliner in future, or whether he’s going to be a ‘number one and a half’ at best.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Have you seen the points table? George is at a key point as to whether he might be considered a genuine topliner in future, or whether he’s going to be a ‘number one and a half’ at best.

By that same comparison - how do the paddock 'insiders' now see Sainz's position as a potential 'number one'?

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

By that same comparison - how do the paddock 'insiders' now see Sainz's position as a potential 'number one'?

I think it's unfortunate that it has to be viewed this way at all. But it does seem to me that the tide is turning. I always maintained that there was little to choose between them but then Charles seemed to get the upper hand. I see Charles as more.... fragile.... than Carlos. Once Carlos gets the bit between his teeth as he did in Monza and this weekend, he seems to come alive.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I think it's unfortunate that it has to be viewed this way at all. But it does seem to me that the tide is turning. I always maintained that there was little to choose between them but then Charles seemed to get the upper hand. I see Charles as more.... fragile.... than Carlos. Once Carlos gets the bit between his teeth as he did in Monza and this weekend, he seems to come alive.

Fair play to Sainz, he's done very well these last two races, although I suspect those battles were won in qualifying much more than the races.

It will be interesting to see how Leclerc fights back during the rest of the year, especially being behind Sainz in the points.

The €200m contract rumours have certainly cooled of late!

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Have you seen the points table? George is at a key point as to whether he might be considered a genuine topliner in future, or whether he’s going to be a ‘number one and a half’ at best.

Just on this a bit. It's funny how F1 perception works.

George has 60% of the points of Lewis. He has 2 DNFs from crashing.
Perez has 60% of the points of Max. He has not DNF'd from a crash.

But the perception is that Perez is doing much worse than George.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Just on this a bit. It's funny how F1 perception works.

George has 60% of the points of Lewis. He has 2 DNFs from crashing.
Perez has 60% of the points of Max. He has not DNF'd from a crash.

But the perception is that Perez is doing much worse than George.

Well noticed, and it's certainly noticed amongst the people I deal with.

In fact it's worse as the points differential between the positions the Mercs are fighting over is less than those for the Red Bulls, meaning the massive point difference is even bigger really.

Also Perez is up against a Verstappen at the possible height of his abilities, whereas I think most would agree Hamilton is slowly in a gradual decline.

Also, in a seven car fight Russell is currently P7.

I am sure Mercedes are in a quandary as to who to look to for the future. Putting too many of their eggs in the Antonelli basket already would have to be a big risk.

[E.B]

Stroll wont be starting the race. The car and he are both a bit too bruised it seems.
A statement from Aston Martin read:

“Following Lance’s crash in qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, Lance and the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team have jointly agreed that he will not participate in this evening’s race."

“The team face a huge job repairing the car today and Lance is still sore following such a high impact."

[S griffin]

Wow, what a session that was. RBR have struggled, but even that is a bit of a shock to see both cars failing to make Q3. Has the car finally revealed a weakness?

Great job by Lawson to get into Q3, he's looking more and more likely to be in an F1 seat full time. Ferraris prove their pace at Monza was not a one off. Good to see both Haas in the top 10

Shame Stroll won't start, but that did look quite a big one

Look forward to the race, especially if the weather plays a part